ENERGY TRANSITION

Gas in liquid form

Methanol, one of the most interesting energy carriers

Gas in liquid form

Methanol, one of the most interesting energy carriers

The role of natural gas in energy transition

In the current transition phase, in which we are moving from an energy model based on fossil fuels to one focused on renewable energy, Eni is promoting the use of natural gas – a fossil fuel with a low carbon content and therefore less polluting. We want the use of methane, the main component of natural gas, to be affordable and sustainable. Turning it into a liquid energy carrier helps achieve these objectives, as well as making transportation and storage easier. Of the liquid fuels that can be obtained from methane, the most interesting and versatile is methanol, with more than 70m tonnes of it produced every year. Studying applications for methanol in the chemical and energy industry is at the heart of Eni’s ‘Energy Transition’ R&D programme, which aims to study new technologies that enable us to manage this transition phase and move towards an ever-increasing use of renewable energy.

The difference between energy sources and energy carriers

We consider methanol to be an alternative energy carrier to hydrogen. But why do we talk about energy carriers, be they liquid or gas? Energy sources like methane are pre-existing forms of energy, available in the natural world. An energy carrier, meanwhile, is ‘created’ by storing energy in the chemical bonds between its atoms – energy that can be transported and then released when used.

One area of the programme involves using natural gas either directly or indirectly
to meet various challenging targets, predominantly the development of innovative ways
of transporting natural gas as an alternative, or in addition, to those most commonly
used on the market today. Another challenge is to develop an efficient way of converting
natural gas into a liquid energy carrier. Methanol is perhaps the most promising of
these because it can be used directly as a fuel.

Methanol can be mixed with petrol to help reduce pollutant emissions, including carbon dioxide, without affecting engine performance. Methanol can also be used in the chemical industry to produce a range of different compounds

FRANCESCA SPADAVECCHIA

The advantages of methanol in terms of efficiency

Compared to petrol, methanol:

has a higher octane rating

burns faster

has a higher latent heat of vaporisation.

Using it can lead to increased engine energy efficiency and a reduction in gas emissions.

Methanol in the energy and chemical industry

In the energy sector: one of the most exciting things about methanol is its use as a fuel, due to its reduced emissions of polluting substances and greenhouse gases. Methanol can be used in specially selected and designed engines or as a component of petrol in conventional engines. In Europe, methanol is already used in various proportions, from low concentrations such as 3 per cent to as much as 85 per cent. Alongside other alcohols, it helps to reduce CO and hydrocarbon emissions from the fleet currently on the road thanks to the presence of oxygen in the molecule. Adding methanol to petrol increases the octane rating and this can improve the engine's performance, helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

In the chemical industry: methanol is used in the preparation of formaldehyde (used as a bactericide in fabric production or as a preservative), acetic acid (used in the production of glue, plastic bottles and photographic film for X-rays), ethylene and propylene (key components of plastics).

Methanol from carbon dioxide: an example of the circular economy

It is possible to recycle CO2 and turn it into fuel – one of the processes underpinning the ‘circular economy’. The electricity generated at peak production times but not absorbed by the grid can be stored in the form of energy within chemical bonds in the reaction that produces methanol from CO2. As a result, instead of being wasted, the energy can be stored, transported and reused when necessary, leading to a virtuous cycle.

Green fuel in Iceland

One of the countries leading the way in the transformation of carbon dioxide into
environmentally-friendly fuel is researching a technology that emulates photosynthesis,
the process through which plants use the sun's energy to recycle carbon dioxide for
their own development. This could have major applications in the automotive industry.

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